To enhance the reading experience, various systems have been proposed in which audio soundtracks relating to the content of text, such as an e-book, are produced and played to the user while they read the text. Some of these systems aim to synchronize the playback of the soundtrack with the user's reading speed.
One such system is described in the applicant's co-pending international PCT patent application publication WO2013/015694, the contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In this system, a soundtrack for electronic text, such as an e-book, is produced that comprises audio tracks of different types that are configured to play concurrently and/or sequentially while the user is reading the electronic text. Playback of the soundtrack is synchronized with the reading speed of the user. The soundtrack may comprise a combination of different audio types, including ambient noise, sound effects, and background music that are configured to playback at a specific point or over specific portions of the electronic text in a synchronized manner as the user is reading those portions of the electronic text. The soundtrack in WO2013/015694 comprises multiple audio regions that are designated to playback during designated text portions of the electronic text. Each audio region comprises audio data defining the audio track to playback, the start position in the electronic text at which the audio region is to commence playback, and a stop position in the electronic text at which the audio region is to cease playback. In one embodiment described, the electronic text is indexed based on the number of words and the start and stop positions of the audio regions relate to a specific start and different stop word.
WO2013/015694 describes various user playback systems for displaying the electronic text and controlling playback of the associated soundtrack. The user playback system may be implemented on various user hardware devices, including portable consumer electronic devices such as smart phones, tablets and dedicated e-reader devices or personal computers, whether desktop or laptop. The soundtrack data file or files, including all the audio tracks, are entirely downloaded in advance and stored locally on the user device before playback can commence. In some embodiments, the soundtrack and audio track files are combined with the electronic text file as a single multimedia data file for download and playback. The user playback system processes the locally stored downloaded file or files and co-ordinates playback of the audio in accordance with a reading position counter that estimates the user's reading position in the electronic text. The reading position counter increments at a rate that is dependent on a user reading speed variable that is indicative of the user's reading speed. The accuracy of the user reading speed variable impacts on the accuracy of the synchronization of the soundtrack playback. In some forms, the reading speed variable is adjusted manually by the user, and in other forms the reading speed variable may be calculated and adjusted automatically from each page turn based on the number of words in the page and the time required to read the page.
In this specification where reference has been made to patent specifications, other external documents, or other sources of information, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the invention. Unless specifically stated otherwise, reference to such external documents is not to be construed as an admission that such documents, or such sources of information, in any jurisdiction, are prior art, or form part of the common general knowledge in the art.